The 2017 cohort members, listed below, are well on their way to fulfilling this goal. If you click on the hyperlinks in their names, you'll be able to learn a little about each of them as a person, and how they came to be in this program.

Research focus:Improve the safe and effective use of medications in the critically ill through better characterization of intensive care unit patients’ renal function. Through identification and mitigation of barriers that limit implementation of new renal assessment tools into practice, Dr. Barreto hopes to improve care delivery, medication safety and patient outcomes.

Research focus:Study the surgical outcomes of colorectal cancer patients in Florida, to ultimately improve access to care, as well as improve colorectal cancer outcomes at the state level. Currently, using quantitative methods, Dr. Colibaseanu is studying surgical outcomes of diabetic patients undergoing surgery.

Research focus: Design and evaluate strategies to help improve the delivery of care to patients with hematologic malignancies, especially those undergoing stem cell transplants. The main goals of Dr. Khera’s research are to help these patients be better informed and prepared for the psychosocial and financial consequences of the treatment, irrespective of their sociodemographic profile.

Research focus: Use both observational and experimental methods to study cost and quality as they apply to the total joint arthroplasty episode of care. Through his research, Dr. Schwartz aims to improve process efficiencies, patient access to care, and treatment outcomes by providing credible cost and quality data, and patient-centric models of value-based care delivery.

Research focus: Explore the comparative effectiveness of biologic medications in multiple inflammatory arthritides. Using the resources of the OptumLabs collaboration with the Mayo Clinic Robert D. and Patricia E. Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery, as well as knowledge synthesis methodology such as network meta-analysis, Dr. Duarte-Garcia plans to identify the best practices to deliver rheumatologic care that is efficient, safe and cost effective.

A collaboration between the center and individual clinical departments or divisions at Mayo Clinic, the Kern Scholars Program trains clinicians to use tools from applied sciences, such as epidemiology, statistics, economics and sociology; to rigorously assess and improve patient-centered outcomes and health care delivery systems.

New scholars join the Kern Scholar program annually, for a one-, two-, or three-year program. This cohort of scholars began their programs in July 2017. To read about members of earlier cohorts, visit the website.